Once again P Dey (The Weekend Sun, August 10) has let his ethnic bias get in the way of the facts. The Maori seats were introduced as a temporary measure in 1867 to allow male Maori to vote in national elections. This was before all male colonists gained the right.

In the last election the Maori Party failed to get re-elected as too few Maori supported them, however from 15 per cent of the population, Maori now has 25 per cent of the parliamentary seats including the Leader and Deputy Leader of the National Party. Maori's 166 per cent representation in the government would seem more than democratically fair.

$1.4 billion approximately, paid by the taxpayer annually and exclusively to Maori, would also seem a rather large bite of the national cake. This sum is not available to any other of the country's 231 ethnic groups. This does not include settlements proposed by a racially selective Waitangi Tribunal.

B Johnson, Omokoroa.